Three Museums to Visit if You Think Ottawa Is Boring

It’s a common myth that Ottawa is a boring city.

As the capital, Ottawa has had a ton of work from the government to make it an impressive, cultural place that represents Canadian society. Luckily for us students, that means that there’s plenty of affordable, government-backed initiatives that we can use to fill our time between assignments.

To me, there’s nothing like the feeling of exploring a museum for the first time, which is why I threw together a short list of some of my favourite museums in Ottawa which you need to visit if you’re a bored university student.

The Canadian Museum of Nature

Student ticket price: $16.00

Free admission: Thursdays, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (booking ticket still required)

Location: 240 McLeod Street

Public transit time from campus: ~25 to 30 minutes

The Canadian Museum of Nature is a century-old institution known for both live exhibitions and detailed sculptures of plants and animals across the globe.

When I visited, I loved every single exhibition on display: the mammals, birds, dinosaurs, ocean life, geology, and even bugs. However, there were two moments that stood out to me the most—touching live starfish and sea urchins with my bare hands, and watching an ant colony build their nest in an open display tank.

To be honest, who doesn’t like nature? The small $16 fee is more than worth it for the hours of enjoyment to be found here, so take my recommendation and discover something about nature yourself.

The Canadian War Museum

Student ticket price: $16.00

Free admission: Thursdays, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (booking ticket still required)

Location: 1 Vimy Place

Public transit time from campus: ~30 to 40 minutes

The Canadian War Museum is a sprawling, rich experience that details Canadian war history from before even the earliest settlers to the present day.

I first visited this museum when I was much younger, but even after returning as an adult it hasn’t lost any of its magic. The experience is very long, with tons of interesting displays and stories complemented by real historical artifacts, from ancient Indigenous arrowheads to weapons from World War II. However, the biggest attraction by far is the LeBreton Gallery, an enormous room where you can get face-to-face with real military technology like tanks, artillery, planes and more.

This museum is as entertaining as it is educational, especially if you have any interest in history or combat. In my opinion, this one may be the quintessential Canadian museum!

The National Arts Centre (NAC)

Student ticket price: Free to visit, event prices vary

Free admission: N/A

Location: 1 Elgin Street

Public transit time from campus: ~30 minutes

The National Arts Centre (NAC) is mostly known for its performance pieces, but in my opinion there’s still plenty to see regardless of if there’s an event going on!

The NAC doesn’t quite have the thrill of the Nature Museum or the War Museum, but instead trades it for serenity. The gorgeous building is scattered with art pieces from iconic Canadian artists, ranging from paintings to giant fountains. Exploring the grounds is deeply meditative and is a great contrast to the busy downtown surroundings.

My personal favourite piece is Alfred Manessier’s Secret Lake, an enormous tapestry only occasionally accessible to the public. However, my favourite memory must be seeing Joe Gatto do stand-up comedy in the main hall.

Pro tip: this is potentially the best study spot in the country, even if it is a little far from campus.